Robeson County 4-H

You may remember the post a few weeks ago about the Knit-In that 4-H helped organize as part of the United Way Day of Caring. Today we made the first of two donations of the items that were made and donated that day. Sherita Jenkins, a social worker with the Gibson Cancer Center accepted the adult blankets and caps from Margaret Crites. Crites is the Director of the Robeson County Rape Crisis Center and one of three organizers of the Knit-In. You may remember Jenkins husband, Assistant County Manager Rod Jenkins, took part in the event. He learned how to knit that day and even completed a pink baby cap. Sherita Jenkins said the items will go to patients who need them and they will provide great comfort during a difficult time in their lives. Showing that the United Way Day of Caring is making a difference in people's lives right here in our community. The rest of the items, newborn and youth items, will be donated to Southeastern Regional Medical Center next week. Stay tune...

Talk about a science experiment in action. This morning when I came in the office we had three chicks, who had just hatched in the incubator. Usually all of our eggs hatch at one time. However this time we had some extra eggs and went ahead and put them in the refrigerator. After a week we had just about six left so we put those in the incubator with the others. We weren't sure if they would hatch, or if the hatch rate would be as high but we thought we should at least try. During the course of the day five of the six have hatched. We are going to give the last egg until the end of the week. If you would like to come out to the 4-H office (O. P. Owens Agricultural Center) and see the cuties, please feel free to stop by. They love visitors, especially those who talk with them. Also, just an update, we are starting to hear from our schools. Green Grove Elementary had 13 out of 16 eggs hatch that is an 81% hatch rate. Mary Savage said he students loved the chicks and even ...

The chicks are here! The chicks are here! That's right it is just over 20 days since we put our eggs in the incubator and the chicks are here! We have been getting calls from the various schools with incubators and the chicks are hatching everywhere. We actually had our first chick hatch yesterday and it was joined by two more the next morning and before the end of the day we had a total of nine. We still have several more trying to peck their way out so we can't wait to see what happens. If you come in to the lobby of our building you will be able to hear our chicks as well as some music. Our first hatch was so loud that we started playing music for it to help it calm down and find its indoor voice. Believe it or not it worked. The chick loved the music and all of them have been relatively quiet, sleeping and breathing to whatever tune they are listening to. They will be in our office through Friday when they go to their new home and then we expect a few more to arriv...

When people hear 4-H they often think of our animal science program. Although it is a small program in our county, compared to the other things we offer, it is still very popular. A few years back, to make sure our youth had the knowledge they needed to be competitive and still have fun we started a mandatory animal science workshop . Last year we combined it with our animal give out as well. About 60 people attended this year's workshop . Families came from as far away as Richmond and Bladen Counties as well as our own. Youth lead the majority of workshops with adults on standby to help out. The workshops included; project records, poultry, rabbits, heifers and steers, as well as goats. We started the day with project records. Shea Ann DeJarnette, the Robeson County 4-H Agent taught that workshop. She gave everyone the forms they needed and went through them by age to help them understand what they would need to put in their project records to have an award winning record ...

As many of you are aware Robeson County 4-H receives the entire bulk of its programming funds from the United Way of Robeson County. We are very fortunate to have this funding so we can provide our youth opportunities they would not otherwise have. As part of our partnership with United Way we take part in their annual fundraising campaign, and we take a large roll in the United Way Day of Caring . You may have read about this rather incredible event in The Robesonian . In case you are not familiar with this almost decade long event, the Day of Caring is an organized effort to go out an make a difference in the community and this year it happened in a big way. Robeson County 4-H was a part of this change in a variety of activities s. The volunteers and members of the Dirty Rascals Junior Master Gardener Club partnered with members of the Master Gardener Association to beautify an outdoor sitting area at Southeastern Hospice House. The group dug in and dug down to plant flowers an...

We are always so proud of our 4-H members and like to encourage them to be the best, after all our 4-H motto is, "Making the Best Better". So when a volunteer and or parent sends us a note, and especially photos about a 4-H member doing something spectacular the least we can do is put it on the blog and share it with the world! Debra McBride sent us this e-mail and we wanted to share this fantastic success with you. "Hope all is well. Just wanted to share the news; Jasmine is getting inducted into the National Junior Beta Club on Thursday, May 12 and she has also received an invitation from the Superintendent of the Public Schools of Robeson County requesting her presence at the Superintendents Student of Excellence Award Ceremony on Thursday, May 19 @ the University of NC @ Pembroke. On another note, P.J. (my little kindergartner) will be place in the Academically Gift Program (AIG) when he starts first grade next school year. He is currently reading on a level of com...

The members of the Dirty Rascals Junior Master Gardener 4-H Club got a surprise when they came to their monthly club meeting . They got a homework assignment. That's right club homework, but this assignment is going to be a lot of fun. The members were presented with two small green houses to start plants in. One was for a vegetable such as sweet peppers, eggplant, cucumber, or tomatoes. The other was for a flower such as zinnias, sun flowers, and marigolds. The members planted their seeds and took them home. They are took take care of them and give updates to their club leaders over the summer since their next club meeting will not be until August. The members also received their sun flowers from their fair booth to help mark their own gardens at home. The club is already working on ideas for their fair booth. As they put it they are planting the seeds and letting them grow!

District Teen Retreat had a little different spin on it this year. You could say they threw it out there and took a shot at something different this year, literally. This year the annual event was held at Millstone 4-H camp in Richmond County, just outside of Ellerbe. Dillon McCartney of the Dirty Rascals Junior Master Gardener 4-H club and Dirty Dozen 4-H Shooting sports club and T'Asha Shelby of the Young Leaders 4-H club attended this year's event. This was a first time for both and reports say they enjoyed their time. Teen Retreat actually started on Friday evening with registration and a dance followed by a camp fire. After all, its just not camp without a campfire and s'mores. On Saturday they got down to business with meetings and workshops. The workshops this year included; Hungry 2 Help bracelets made with can tabs. Building a Camfire and Camping workshop. One of the more popular workshops was Skeet Shooting. Then the Operation Military Kids staff taught...

It is not everyday that you wake up and prepare to meet the future King of England. Especially when you live in Washington D.C. However, yesterday some lucky 4-H members who are part of an urban gardening program had just that opportunity. Prince Charles included a tour of this particular garden as part of his U. S. Tour that also invovled a meeting with President Obama. Gardening, especially organic gardening and sustainable resources are passions of the Prince's so projects like these are of great intrest to him. Below is the article that was posted on the National 4-H page, in the Power of YOUth newsletter, about the visit. "4-H’ers in Washington, D.C., recently got a helping hand from royalty at the Common Good City Farm, a community farm in the District whose fresh produce to goes to area residents. Prince Charles of Wales has been a champion of sustainable agriculture for decades, and a stop by the only urban farm in the city was added to the agenda for his U.S. tri...

About 50 people came out to get an update on the 4-H County Program from our 4-H County Council Officers and 4-H Volunteer Leader Association officers at our regularly scheduled meeting . As part of the meeting we make sure to conduct a meeting by parliamentary procedure, and read minutes from our last meeting, conduct a club roll call and offer a prize to the club with the highest percentage of members present. Clubs are only allowed to win once per year. This meeting the award went to the Dirty Rascals Junior Master Gardener 4-H Club. Officers talked about old business and checks were awarded to the members who won at County Activity Day. We also recognized our two County Entertains winners who will go on to represent us at District. Maurice Rogers sang for us and Megan Hurst danced for us. Officers discussed a cloverbud retreat and have said they will meet again to reset the date. Also Libby Burney and Christopher Bullard talked to the group about the scrapbooking work...